The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Radiation Oncology and the O’Neal Cancer Center have opened a new brachytherapy suite, a facility that is designed to provide brachytherapy to patients who have cancer. The new suite is the only one of its kind in Alabama that in many instances offers patients with specific cancers an improved treatment experience that is safer and more efficient for the patient.

Brachytherapy, or brachy, is a treatment commonly used to treat patients with gynecological and prostate cancers, but it can be used for a wide variety of cancer types. During treatment, health care personnel place an applicator, that accommodates a radioactive source, inside or near the tumor to allow radiation to be delivered directly to the cancer cells in the body while sparing the healthy tissue surrounding the cancer cells.

While brachytherapy offers significant advantages for patients with cancer due to its precision, placing the applicator inside the body can require an invasive procedure. Prior to the brachy suite, the applicators would be placed inside the operating room. After the patient woke up from surgery, they would then be transported to the Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Center, where they would have a CT scan to help radiation oncologists and medical physicists calculate and plan the treatment.

“The challenge with our former process is that it was not as patient-centric as we would like for it to be due to the multiple moving parts and longer treatment times for the patient,” said Samuel Marcrom, M.D., associate medical director of Brachytherapy at UAB Medicine. “With this new brachy suite, we are offering the same high-quality radiation treatment that we always offer the patient, but we are able to do it in a better way that is safer for the patient and provides a better experience.”

With the new suite, the patient is no longer transferred to multiple locations to fully complete their treatment. They can get the applicator placed, the CT scan, the treatment planning and the treatment administration in the same room.

“We are improving the quality of care and the patient experience by decreasing wait times and the number of hand-offs patients typically have to experience,” said Samantha Simiele, Ph.D., chief of Brachytherapy at UAB. “Patients will be seen by the same care team from the time they arrive to the time they leave.”

Marcrom emphasizes that this suite is one of the better treatment options for certain cancers and in some instances is the very best treatment option, associated with higher cure rates, longer life spans, better outcomes and fewer side effects. Marcrom estimates the brachy suite will cut many patient treatment times by 50 to 60 percent, allowing UAB radiation oncologists to treat more patients in a more efficient and convenient way.

Eligible patients who are interested in the brachy suite can ask their physician for a referral or self-refer by calling 205-934-5670. Learn more about brachytherapy at onealcanceruab.org.